Egypt's mannequin makers feel currency pinch

Parts of fiberglass mannequins are seen covered with dust at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A mannequin by Hosni Faris is seen at his old workshop in Cairo, Egypt, March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

An Egyptian worker picks up the hand of a fiberglass mannequin at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A mannequin is seen at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY.

A worker applies fiberglass on a metal shape at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A worker fixes the leg of a mannequin at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 29, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Hosni Faris, the pioneer of the mannequin industry in Egypt, works at his old workshop in Cairo, Egypt, March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Mannequins are displayed in the gallery of Mohamed al-Shabini in Al Kharqani village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A worker paints a fiberglass mannequin at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Mohamed al-Shabini, 44, poses for a photograph at his gallery in Al Kharqani village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A mannequin is seen at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY.

The lower part of a mannequin is seen above a house in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A worker fixes a fiberglass mannequin at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A worker paints a fiberglass mannequin at a workshop in El Kharqanya village, El-Kalubia governorate, north of Cairo, Egypt, March 29, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Equipment for making mannequins is seen at the workshop of Hosni Faris in Cairo, Egypt, March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh SEARCH "MANNEQUIN DALSH" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Up Next

See Gallery

Discover More Like This

HIDE CAPTION

SHOW CAPTION

of

SEE ALL

BACK TO SLIDE

CAIRO, May 4 (Reuters) - The man who describes himself as the pioneer of Egypt's mannequin industry believes his career is almost over, killed by high costs and cheaper Chinese imports favored by many clothing stores.

Hosni Faris launched his mannequin business in downtown Cairo in the 1950s.

However, since Egypt devalued its currency last year -- as part of measures to revive the economy -- the price of manufacturing shop dummies within the country has soared.

The lower value of the Egyptian pound against the dollar has pushed up the cost of importing the raw materials needed to make the mannequins.

As a result, mannequin makers such as Faris are suffering.

"I have stopped manufacturing mannequins because the cost is so high," Faris told Reuters.

"Raw materials are expensive and workers are very expensive," he said, adding that clothing stores were resorting to Chinese mannequins "because they are cheap."

Faris, who has resorted to repairing broken mannequins in order to keep his business afloat, is not the only one struggling to make a living from the niche industry.

"The price of local mannequins doubled once or twice (after flotation) because the polyester raw materials in which I work are imported," Mohamed al-Shabini, who opened a workshop with his brother Osama in the village of El Kharqanya near Cairo 20 years ago, told Reuters.

The 44-year-old Al-Shabini, who learned his trade after graduating from university, hopes the raw materials he needs can be manufactured in Egypt, which would reduce his costs.